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HK, Singapore all set for start of 31 days of automated OAV


Notwithstanding some confusion in the list of voters, the Philippines’ poll body and its diplomatic posts in Hong Kong and Singapore have declared all systems go for the first automated overseas absentee voting (OAV) for overseas Filipinos in the two countries, which is set to start Saturday. In Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China with nearly 100,000 Filipino voters, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal supervised on Friday the testing and sealing of the last of 20 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to be used in the OAV in the territory. No problems were reported in the testing, according to GMA News’ 24-Oras newscast, with the PCOS machine accurately reflecting the votes contained in 10 test ballots.
Ultraviolet (UV) lamps likewise showed the security markings in the ballots, indicating that they are authentic. “It’s easy to do and easy to implement. The voters themselves can verify the UV ink," Larrazabal said in the newscast. Henrietta de Villa, chair of the Philippine Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) which was accredited by the Comelec as its citizen’s arm, similarly expressed confidence that the OAV in Hong Kong will run smoothly. “We hope we can replicate this kind of orderliness in our voting centers and precinct clusters (in the Philippines)," said de Villa. The OAV, set to start on Saturday, involves automated counting in Hong Kong and Singapore, and personal manual voting and postal voting in other countries. (See: 31 voting days for overseas Filipinos begin on Saturday) Previous tests went well Previous tests of the PCOS machines also went well, according to Vice Consul Val Roque of the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Hong Kong in a separate interview with GMANews.TV. A total of 20 PCOS machines will be used for the 20 precinct clusters in the territory, with four other machines serving as back-up, to cater to 95,355 registered Filipinos for the OAV there. Voting will be from April 10 to May 10 at a rented center in Bayanihan Kennedy Town Center along Victoria Road in Kennedy Town. “We will work for 31 days straight to give every registered Filipino in Hong Kong the chance to vote," Roque said. He added the voting center will be open from 9 a.m to 5 p.m Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. On the last day of voting on May 10, voters will likewise be accommodated from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Changes in the list of voters An organization of Filipinos in Hong Kong, however, expressed concern about the confusion reportedly caused by recent changes in the certified list of overseas absentee voters (CLOAV). Dolores Balladares, chair of the United Filipinos (Unifil) in Hong Kong said in a separate interview that a revised CLOAV was released only on March 31, causing confusion among voters about their assigned number on the list and designated precinct cluster. Balladares said seafarers were included in the CLOAV for the first precinct, causing changes in the original list which the group had earlier distributed to Filipino voters. “We will be helping in the OAV. As soon as we get the new list, we will make copies to be given out to voters so that they’ll know which precinct to go to even before they come to the voting center," she told GMANews.TV She added they will be at the center as early as 7 a.m. on Saturday to assist in guiding voters on the voting process and to act as poll watchers. There are about 500 Unifil members who have volunteered as watchers on rotation, according to Balladares, and they will continue conducting voters’ education campaigns especially for voters who have yet to see a sample ballot. “It is very important to encourage our migrants to vote and elect candidates who we believe will uplift our conditions," she explained. Balladares added that Unifil is looking for sponsors for free transportation especially for voters who will be coming from far-flung areas in the territory, as transportation can cost as much as HK$50 (about P288). The group, however, is worried about the expected influx of voters on weekends, when most of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the territory have their days off. The Consulate General is thus extending voting hours during the weekends, according to Vice Consul Roque. “We’re calling on our kababayans here to also drop by to vote during weekdays to prevent long queues (on weekends). We are also advising them to ask their employers to allow them to vote during weekdays," Roque said. RP post in Singapore also 'prepared' In the island city-state of Singapore, meanwhile, Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz likewise declared the Philippine Embassy is prepared to ensure the success of the OAV and accommodate the 31,851 registered voters there. “We are now putting everything in place. We launched an information campaign as early as a month ago, and we have informed out voters what to do and what to bring to be able to vote," Cruz told GMANews.TV in another interview. She said the testing and sealing on April 7 of seven PCOS machines to be used in the island city-state went smoothly, with each reflecting the results for 10 test ballots. (See: RP posts test, seal voting machines in HK, Singapore) As in Hong Kong, the counters were also set to zero and the machines sealed—to be opened only on Saturday, she added. Cruz explained there will be three Special Board of Election Inspectors in each of the seven precincts, all of whom were trained by Comelec. The OAV in Singapore will likewise last for 31 days from April 10 to May 10, with no noon breaks. On April 10 and May 10, voting centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, and from April 11 to May 9, the voting will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hoping for higher turnout The diplomatic posts in Hong Kong and Singapore both expressed hopes that the automation of the counting of votes for the OAV will encourage a higher voter turnout this year. Roque said in 2004, more than 50 percent of about 88,000 registered Filipinos voted in Hong Kong. “We are hoping that this year, we will also have a high turnout," he said. Similarly, Singapore registered about 80 percent voter turnout in the 2004 elections, according to Cruz. “We want to make sure (the OAV) will be successful. It is a landmark to automate the election, and we look forward to contributing to its success," Cruz said. Only the PPCRV is the accredited poll watcher in Singapore, while Hong Kong has the women’s group Gabriela-Hong Kong and Bangon Pilipinas Movement. Hotline for overseas voters As this developed, a migrants’ rights group urged Filipino voters abroad to cast their votes and guard against fraud, as it set up a hotline where Filipino migrants can report irregularities in the OAV. Migrante Watch, the election monitoring arm of the group Migrante International, has set up the hotline number 0922-682-4187 where Filipinos overseas can send reports of disenfranchisement, fraud and other problems with the OAV in their areas. “We call on our OFWs to cast their ballots and ensure that only candidates and party-lists representatives who truly advance the interests of migrant workers and their families get elected. Now is our chance to finally unseat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who in her nine years in power neglected our welfare and only treated us as exploited commodities," said Migrante chair Garry Martinez in a press conference in Manila. He added the group is paying close attention to Hong Kong and Singapore, which host more than 20 percent of the 589,830 Filipino absentee voters across the world, as voting in the two countries may be “a portent of things to come on May 10 here." Martinez also called on OFWs not to vote for party-list groups that claim to represent migrant workers, but in reality are being supported by the government and whose nominees are former government officials. “These party-list groups do not truly represent OFWs, and Arroyo is using these fake party-list groups to dominate Congress and eventually gain power," Martinez explained.—JV, GMANews.TV

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